CHAPTER 21
“Change is inevitable, but growth is a choice…”
MARIA GAbrIELA
Head down, I knocked on my friend’s door that Sunday.
Carol opened it with her usual big smile—the kind of smile that normally rubs off on me—but today it felt far away. She read me instantly; her smile faded the second her eyes met mine.
“What happened, Gabi?” The worry in her voice was obvious. As always, she pulled me inside without hesitation, and we made our way to the couch.
I took a deep breath, searching for the right words, but the truth was as simple as it was cruel.
“I… I’m pregnant, Carol,” I blurted out, my voice low and weak.
Carolina’s eyes widened for a heartbeat, then she quickly composed herself.
My friend had always been good at staying calm, even when the world was falling apart. She squeezed my hand, trying to steady me, but I could feel the disbelief behind her gaze.
“Gabi…” she began, as if trying to wrap her head around what I’d just said. “Pregnant?! How…?”
I shook my head, a wave of emotions rising inside me. It felt like everything was spinning out of my control. I’d never imagined myself here.
“I took the test,” I said, my eyes dropping to the floor, unable to meet hers. “I didn’t want to believe it, but the two lines were there… clear as day. And now… I don’t know what to do.” My voice cracked at the end, betraying the fear I’d been trying to hide.
She stood up, pacing the room the way she always did when she was thinking. Then she planted her hands on her hips, like she was trying to line up her thoughts, to find some magic fix for my situation.
But there wasn’t one.
“And Diego?” she asked suddenly, stopping mid-step. “Have you told him yet?”
I shook my head fast. Just the idea of telling Diego made my stomach churn all over again.
How was I supposed to tell my boss I was pregnant when he’d used protection?
“I can’t,” I whispered. “He used a condom, Carol. This wasn’t supposed to happen.” A bitter laugh slipped out, sounding hollow even to me. “How am I supposed to explain this to him? He’s going to think… that I messed up somehow. Or that I’m lying, that I’m pregnant by someone else, I don’t know.”
My friend stopped pacing and sat back down next to me. Her eyes locked on mine, serious now. She’d always been my anchor, the one who kept me grounded—but even she looked a little lost at this revelation.
“Listen…” Carolina began, her voice light but threaded with a seriousness I couldn’t miss.
“Diego might be a narcissistic jerk, but he’s going to have to deal with this.
This isn’t your fault, Gabi. It happened.
Life doesn’t always go as planned. But he’s going to have to handle it just as much as you do. ”
I exhaled heavily, feeling the weight of her words.
Diego couldn’t just ignore this, and I couldn’t keep running from it.
But the fear was still there, choking me slowly.
“I just…” I started, but my voice faltered.
“I’m scared of what’s going to happen once I tell him.
Diego’s always made it clear he doesn’t want anything beyond work and control.
He’s told me before he never wants to go through what he went through with Arthur’s mother—even though I don’t know exactly what happened.
And now here I am… pregnant. He’s going to hate me, Carol.
He’ll think I did this on purpose, for the money or whatever he has—if he even believes me. ”
“If he hates you, call me and I’ll handle him.” She winked, but the playful tone barely covered her own concern. “Better yet, I’ll send someone else to handle him. I’m not ruining my nails over that man.”
I let out a small smile. But it vanished quickly, swallowed by growing anxiety.
“This isn’t a joke, Carol,” I said quietly. “If I tell him… everything changes.”
“I know, friend.” She set her hand gently on my shoulder.
“But you’re going to have to face it head-on.
You can’t run forever. If not for you, then for this baby.
You’re not alone. And who knows—Diego might surprise you.
Even if he’s a narcissistic bastard, maybe there’s more humanity there than he lets on. ”
The idea of Diego being “human” made me laugh.
I doubted it, but Carol was right. I couldn’t hide forever. At some point, I’d have to tell the truth, face the fallout, and deal with whatever came next.
“You’re right,” I admitted finally, though the thought of talking to Diego gave me chills. “I’ll tell him… but I need time.”
Carolina gave me a small, steady smile.
“And I’ll be here, Gabi,” she promised. “I’ll always be here.”
The next morning, I slipped into work on autopilot.
Completely.
Numbers flickered on the screen in front of me, but I couldn’t focus on anything. My mind was miles away, trapped in a whirlwind of thoughts about the pregnancy.
I could barely understand how it had happened, but reality was relentless, insistent.
I was pregnant.
The office buzzed around me—a symphony of voices, keyboards, phones ringing—but everything felt muffled, distant. Stacks of papers piled up on my desk, but I could hardly manage the basics.
All I could do was pretend I was functioning.
Diego passed through my line of sight a few times, his face impassive, absorbed in his own routine. I knew he noticed me; he always noticed.
His eyes met mine briefly, but he said nothing, just watched from a distance, as if waiting for the right moment.
And that moment came far too quickly.
“Maria Gabriela.” His voice was firm, leaving no room for argument. “My office. Now.”
A chill ran up my spine. I’d known this was coming, but I still wasn’t ready.
With a deep breath, I set my papers aside and walked slowly to his office. Each step felt heavier than the last, and by the time I reached the door, my heart was pounding so hard I could barely breathe.
Diego sat behind his massive mahogany desk, his eyes fixed on me as I entered. He shut the door with a quick flick of his hand, the click of the lock echoing through the room, making the air feel even heavier.
“Feeling better?” he asked bluntly, arms crossed over his chest, his gaze serious.
The question I’d been dreading.
I nodded slowly, trying to look convincing even as I was crumbling inside.
“Yes, I’m better.” My voice came out low, almost a whisper, and I cursed myself for it.
Diego raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced.
“You don’t look it,” he said, his voice cold and authoritative. “I want the truth. What’s really going on with you?”
My throat tightened.
I knew he wouldn’t let this slide. Diego wasn’t the kind of man you could fool easily. He was relentless, always digging for the truth—and right now, I knew there was no escape.
I tried to deflect, tossing out a vague excuse.
“It’s just… a bug. I just need some rest.”
He stayed silent for a long moment, his eyes pinned on me with that look that felt like it could see straight through me. My heart raced when he leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the desk.
“You’re not leaving this office until you tell me the truth,” he said, his tone slicing through the air like a blade. “Now talk.”
Tears welled up before I could stop them. I knew I’d hit my limit. My body started trembling under the weight of it all.
Finally, I couldn’t hold it in anymore.
“I…” My voice broke. I lifted a hand to my face, trying to stop the tears from falling, but it was no use. “I’m pregnant, Diego.”
The silence that followed was deafening.
For a moment, he just stared at me, his eyes wide as if trying to process what I’d said. Then his face hardened, and what came next shattered my heart.
“Pregnant?!” he repeated, his voice laced with disbelief. “And who’s the father?”
“You are, Diego.” My voice was stronger this time, but still fragile around the edges.
He was the father, and I didn’t know how else to make him believe it.
Diego stayed quiet for a second—long enough to give me a flicker of hope that maybe he did believe me. But then… he laughed.
It was a short, dry laugh with no humor in it.
“I’m the father?” he repeated, as if the idea was ridiculous. “Gabriela, I used a condom.”
“Diego, I’m telling the truth,” I insisted, my tears finally spilling over, my voice trembling. “You’re the father of this baby. I… I don’t know how, but… it happened.”
He stood, his face twisting into a mix of anger and contempt. Diego walked to the window, turning his back on me as if trying to process it all.
When he finally turned around, his eyes were as cold as ice.
“Get out of my office,” he said, his voice hard and stripped of emotion. “I don’t believe a word you’re saying. Get out. Now.”
I stared at him, stunned, trying to understand how he could act like this—but there was nothing left to say. He didn’t believe me, and that rejection hurt worse than anything I’d ever imagined.
Heartbroken, I turned and walked out of the office, tears streaming freely down my face. All I wanted in that moment was to disappear, to escape the cruel reality I’d just stepped into.
The door clicked shut behind me—and with it, any hope I’d had that Diego might be more than the cold man he’d always been.
Now I was alone.
And for the first time, I truly understood what that meant.